New images show growth in the ion tail of comet 3I/ATLAS: “It is much more developed”

New telescope images have revealed a dramatic change in comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar visitor currently passing through the inner solar system. Astronomers say its ion tail has suddenly stretched out and brightened, signaling a spike in activity that could offer rare insight into a comet born around another star.

The latest photo, captured on November 10 by Italy’s Virtual Telescope Project, combines 18 long exposures taken with robotic telescopes in Manciano. In the image, 3I/ATLAS displays a sharper, more extended ion tail than in any previous observation.

According to astronomer Gianluca Masi, who leads the Virtual Telescope Project, the tail’s rapid growth suggests the comet is reacting more intensely to the Sun as it moves deeper into the solar system. Ion tails form when ultraviolet radiation strips electrons from gas molecules escaping the comet’s surface. Those charged particles are then swept away by the solar wind, creating a long, glowing structure that always points away from the Sun.

Why 3I/ATLAS matters: a rare interstellar guest

3I/ATLAS is only the third confirmed interstellar object ever observed, following ’Oumuamua in 2017 and 2I/Borisov in 2019. But unlike ’Oumuamua—too faint and fast for close study—this comet is bright enough for detailed observations from the ground.

That brightness gives astronomers a unique chance to watch how a visitor from another star system behaves as it encounters our Sun for the first time.

What the growing tail reveals

The sudden increase in the ion tail’s length and brightness suggests that 3I/ATLAS is releasing more gas and dust, potentially including carbon dioxide. As these materials stream into space, they’re pushed outward by the solar wind, letting scientists analyze the comet’s composition.

Studying these emissions can help researchers piece together the chemical environment of the star system where 3I/ATLAS originally formed — information that would be otherwise almost impossible to obtain.

What comes next for 3I/ATLAS

The Virtual Telescope Project plans to continue monitoring the comet throughout its journey through the inner solar system. Its team has already collected valuable data since the comet’s discovery in July, and the new surge in activity makes future observations even more important.

Every fresh image gathered over the coming weeks could deepen our understanding of interstellar comets and the distant worlds that send them our way. These observations are also proving valuable to help defend Earth against other space debris in the solar system.

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